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CANSAIL CHARITABLE TRUST

Welcome aboard!

CanSail, a member of the worldwide Sail Training fraternity, is dedicated to the personal development of children and young adults through the challenge of crewing a Small Ship.

Operating from October to April each year, CanSail offers groups of 20-25 youngsters a three-hour Sail Training experience in the stunning waters of Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. We sail in Lyttelton Harbour prior to Christmas, and Akaroa Harbour after the New Year.

CanSail's Sail Training can be enjoyed by schools and youth groups, including young people with physical disabilities, and behavioural and learning difficulties. Adult leaders and parent supporters are welcome to join your group which will be under the expert care of our professional skipper and volunteer crew. The maximum number of people you may bring on board is 30.

CanSail is supported largely by our funding partners. Through their generosity your $690 trip is sponsored subject to sufficient funding. We ask schools and youth groups to contribute $150 per group towards our overhead costs. However, no group is prevented from sailing by economic hardship.

Bookings are essential. CanSail's Small Ship, STV Fox II, is available for weekday morning (9am start), afternoon (12:30pm start) and evening (4pm start) sailings. We have an on-board barbecue which can be reserved on evening trips - you bring the sausages, sauce and serviettes! Sailing times are more flexible for trips during the weekend. You are welcome to book more than one CanSail trip if necesssary to accommodate your numbers.

If you have time to make a day of it, CanSail offers the Diamond Harbour Experience: half a day sailing, half a day on the far side of Lyttelton Harbour. Enjoy the Cliff Walk round to Church Bay, stomp up some of the Mt Herbert Walkway for a great view or wander down to Purau Bay for a quick dip. The Diamond Harbour Experience is ideal if you have two sailing groups: once we have ferried half your party across the harbour, the rest spend the morning sailing. At lunchtime, we swap the groups at the Diamond Harbour jetty. At the end of the day, the afternoon crew is dropped at Lyttelton before the non-sailing group is collected. Extra time is required for the Diamond Harbour Experience which runs 8:30am - 4:00pm. There is no extra cost: each CanSail trip is $150 per group. Alternatively, your non-sailing group can explore Lyttelton.